Rail-bond.



No. 807,656- PATENTED DEG. 19 1905 L. B. BUCHANAN.

RAIL BOND.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 30, 1904.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

PATENTED DEC. 19, 1905.

L. B. BUCHANAN.

RAIL BOND.

" APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 30. 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITE STATES PATENT GFFICE.

RAIL-BOND.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 19, 1905.

Application filed November 30, 1904. Serial No. 234,847.

To ctZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEONARD B. BUCHANAN, of V\ oburn,county of Middlesex,State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Rail-Bonds, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

At the present time many electric railbonds are in use which are riveted or bolted or otherwise secured to the rails by means other than solder, such bonds, as contrasted with the soldered bonds, being oftentimes referred to as plug-bonds by reason of being secured by plugs passing through holes in the rails. In practice the rivets, bolts, or other attaching devices loosen, and as a result the resistance materially increases and extra energy is required, and, furthermore, frequent repairs become necessary which largely increases the maintenance charges of the road.

This invention has for its object to provide means for maintaining an efficient path for the current from the rails to the rail-bond, even though the rivets, bolts, or other attaching devices have loosened or should loosen, thereby obviating the expense of extra current and frequent repairs, such means also assisting in preventing the attaching devices from easily loosening, if tight.

My invention comprehends an auxiliary current-carrying bond connecting the rail with the rail-bond, which will be attached to the rail and to the means employed for attaching the rail-bond to the rail.

The auxiliary bond will be differently constructed to adapt it to the many different types of rail-bonds, some only of which are herein shown for the purpose of illustrating my invention. My auxiliary bond may be applied to new construction, but is particularly designed for old construction.

Figure 1 shows in plan view and partial section a rail-bond having an auxiliary bond embodying my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a plan view and partial section of another type 'of rail-bond having an auxiliary bond applied thereto. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of an auxiliary rail-bond embodying this invention. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the auxiliary bond as it is prepared for the market. Fig. 5 is a plan view of another type of railbond having an auxiliary bond embodying this invention. Fig. 6 is a modified form of the auxiliary bond. Fig. 7 is a plan view and partial section of. another modified form of auxiliary bond adapted to be applied to a railbond of different type. F ig. 8 is a modification of the auxiliary bond shown in Fig. 7.

Referring to Figs. 1, 3, and 4:, represents an ordinary rail bond having circularlyformed ends, its attaching device being represented as a tapering plug 6. 0 represents a cap, of copper or other conducting material, and comprises a solder-receiving body and a circumferential flange c. This cap in practice may be struck up out of sheet-copper, although it may be cast. The solder-receiving body is made shallow and is filled with solder, and the solder also extends over the rail-engaging face of the flange c, as shown in Fig. 4. In one side of the cap, whichwill be the top when the cap is applied to the rail, a small hole 0 is formed for the introduction of more solder, if required.- In thisinstance the solder-filled cap constitutes the auxiliary bond; but I include within the spirit and scope of my invention any other form of shell or casing 0r metallic containing portion which serves as the equivalent of the cap. In applying the auxiliary bond the exposed end of the attaching device and the rail adjacent thereto are both cleaned by means of a sand-blast or by acid or soldering fluid or other means and then heated, and the auxiliary bond is then applied over the exposed end of the rail-bond attaching device, with its flange 0 against the rail. The auxiliary bond soon becomes firmly fixed to the rail and to the rail-bond attaching device by the solder. The auxiliary bond thus applied provides a path for the current from the rail to the rail-bond, even though the attaching device for the rail-bond should be loose or should subsequently work loose, and, furthermore, tends to prevent the attaching device working loose. The cap herein shown is made circular; but it may be made of any shape desired, and in some instances, if required, may be made large enough to cover and inclose the attaching devices of more than one rail-bond.

In the auxiliary bond shown in Figs.- 1, 3,

and 4 both the solder and the cap, being conducting material, are employed to carry the current; but if the cap should be removed or omitted then the current will still be carried by the solder, as shown in Fig. 6. Therefore I do not desire to limit my invention to making the auxiliary bond of two parts or of two dififerent materials. Copper, however, has greater electrical conductance than solder, and

hence space may be saved by its use as well as strength may be gained.

Referringto Fig. 2,tapering cylindrical lugs f are formed on the rail-bond, which serve as the attaching devices. Referring to Fig. 5, the attaching devices for the rail-bond are represented as bolts g.

Referring to Fig. 7, tapering cylindrical plugs are driven through holes in the rails, said plugs each having a socket adapted to receive one end of aflexible wire a. This is another well-known type of rail-bond. To provide a path for the current in case the plugs should loosen and also to tend to prevent said plugs loosening, a modified auxiliary bond is employed by which the rail-bond is soldered to the rail. In this instance the auxiliary bond consists of an annular cap or ring It, having an outer flange it, adapted to engage the rail, and an inner flange 7L2, adapted to engage the plug, and the main body portion is dished or shaped to form a receptacle to contain a quantity of solder. The solder may be applied to the inner side of the cap or ring prior to its application to the plug, or the solder may be applied when applying the cap or ring to the rail-bond, as desired. In either event, however, the cap or ring is provided with a hole 7L3, through which the solder can be poured, as in practice it will be found necessary to supply additional solder, even though the requisite quantity is applied to the ring before its application to the plug. When the cap or ring is applied, it will be soldered to the cylindrical plug and to the rail in the manner above set forth, and consequently will insure a solder connection for the purpose of maintaining a path for the current under all conditions and also assist in preventing the attaching device from loosening.

Referring to Fig. 8, the cap or ring is cast and, like the cap or ring shown in Fig. 7, com-= prises a rail-engaging flange f and a plugengaging flange f and the solder is applied to the engaging faces of said flanges.

Electric roads already equipped with plugbonds may save'large maintenance charges by the employment of an auxiliary bond.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a rail-bond, the attaching device of which passes through ahole in the rail, of an auxiliary bond for electrically connecting the attaching device of the rail-bond to the rail, comprising current-conducting material attached by solder to the rail and to the exposed end of the attaching device of the rail-bond, substantially as described.

senses 2. The combination with a rail-bond, the attaching device of which passes through a hole in the rail, of an auxiliary bond of conducting material attached to the rail and to the attaching device of the rail bond, composed of a metallic containing portion and an inclosed body of solder, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a rail-bond, the attaching device of which passes through a hole in the rail, of an auxiliary bond of conducting material attached to the rail and to the attaching device ofthe railbond, composed of a flanged metallic casing and an inclosed body of solder, substantially as described.

4. An auxiliary bond for electrically. connecting the attaching device of the rail-bond with the rail consisting of a casing of conductingmaterialhavingarail-engagingflange, and adapted to be soldered to the rail and to the exposed end of the attaching device of the rail-bond, substantially as described.

5. An auxiliary rail-bond for electrically connecting a rail-bond with the rail consisting of an exterior portion of conducting material having a rail-engaging flange, and a solderreceiving body, substantially as described.

6. A flanged metallic cap filled with solder and adapted to be attached by the said solder to the exposed end of a plug rail-bond and the adjacent rail, to connect said bond electrically with the rail, substantially as described.

7. An auxiliary bond for electrically connecting a rail-bond with the rail consisting of an exterior portion of conducting material having a hole at one side and having a railengaging flange, and a solder-receiving body, substantially as described.

8. The combination with a rail-bond, the attaching device of which passes through a hole in the rail, of an auxiliary bond of conducting material attached to the rail and to the attaching device of the rail-bond, which incloses the exposed end of said attaching device and electrically connects said attaching device with the rail, substantially as described.

9. The combination of a rail-bond having attaching devices by which it is attached to and electrically connected with the rails and supplemental means engaging the exposed and accessible portions for additionally attaching and electrically connecting said rail-bond with the rails, substantially as described.

in testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEONARD B. BUCHANAN.

Witnesses:

B. J. NOYES, H. B. DAVIS. 

